Wound badge with odd finish

[Ironcrown]

I bought this badge from the E-stand recently.
At first, I was thinking about removing the odd white finish to recover a nice wound badge in black.
But then... I see clearly that the paint is very old.
I'd like some opinions about this badge. Maybe a period upgrade attempt for a silver grade made by the veteran? The wound badge in silver is sometime also entered as Verwundetenabzeichen in Mattweiss...

What is the best think to do, Should I leave it in this way or try a restoration?

[CWP]

Personally, if the paint is old, I would just leave it the way it is. No way to be sure when the paint was added or why- but a badge is only original once.

[Ironcrown]

This is a good point of view, thanks

Yes the paint may be quite old, considering the cracks on the surface.

[norman]

I'd leave it just as it is. It has clearly been silver for a long time and was painted that colour for a reason. Maybe the recipient was entitled to the silver but never recieved it, so painted over his black issue. It would be uncomfortable to think that maybe this was part of it's history and that you had removed it.

[Tom Yanacek]

I don't know if I could leave it the way it is. I suppose I would have to remove a chip of that paint and see exactly what type of paint that is. From the way it is crazed and cracked, I would think it is either latex or acrylic paint. It certainly did not adhere well to the original black finish. If that paint is latex or acrylic, then it certainly was not applied during WW1, nor in the years between the wars. So the paint may look and be old, but actually how old? I can understand the argument about a veteran upgrading his own badge, but this strikes me more as something a kid would do with his father's war souvenirs. Yes, a WW1 Silver Wound Badge was referred to as mattweiß and a WW1 Gold Wound Badge was referred to as mattgelb. But I have never seen a WW1 Wound Badge that was painted flat white or flat yellow. Mattweiß simply means a dull white metal and white metals are metals that are silver in color, such as silver, nickel. zinc, etc. Mattgelb means a dull yellow metal and yellow metals are metals that are gold-colored i.e., brass, gold, tombak, etc.

I really don't want to be rude (and I hope I am not by saying this) but the badge looks horrible with that slopped on white paint. I would much prefer to have it as the nice Black Wound Badge that it is under all that thick white paint.

Best regards,
Tom

[BROBS]

looks to me like latex..


-Brian

[reichenberg]

Leave it alone, you will never find another quite like it whatever the reason for the paint job. Once it's gone, it's gone forever.